The Clapping Song
Encyclopedia
"The Clapping Song" is an American
song, written by Lincoln Chase
, originally arranged by Charles Callello and recorded by Shirley Ellis
in 1965. The song was released shortly after Ellis had released "The Name Game
". The lyrics of "The Clapping Song" were borrowed from the song "Little Rubber Dolly", a 1930s song recorded by the Light Crust Doughboys, and also feature instructions for a clapping game
. The song made it to #8 on the charts.
The song returned to the charts in 1982, when the Belle Stars' version charted at number 11 in the U.K. This version did not chart in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
song, written by Lincoln Chase
Lincoln Chase
Lincoln R. Chase was an African-American songwriter and occasional recording artist. As a writer, his most notable songs were "Such a Night", "Jim Dandy", and several of Shirley Ellis' hits in the early 1960s including "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song".-Career:He studied at the American...
, originally arranged by Charles Callello and recorded by Shirley Ellis
Shirley Ellis
Shirley Ellis is an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian origin. She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" , "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song"...
in 1965. The song was released shortly after Ellis had released "The Name Game
The Name Game
"The Name Game", or "The Banana Song", is a children's singalong rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name. It was written by U.S...
". The lyrics of "The Clapping Song" were borrowed from the song "Little Rubber Dolly", a 1930s song recorded by the Light Crust Doughboys, and also feature instructions for a clapping game
Clapping game
A clapping game is a type of usually cooperative game which is generally played by two players and involves clapping as accompaniment to a singing game or reciting of a rhyme...
. The song made it to #8 on the charts.
The song returned to the charts in 1982, when the Belle Stars' version charted at number 11 in the U.K. This version did not chart in the U.S.
Covers
The song has been covered several times:- Female Mexican pop singer YuriYuri (Mexican singer)Yuri is a famous Mexican singer, actress, and TV host. She has maintained a significant presence in the entertainment business in Mexico for the last three decades...
recorded a Spanish version of the song in 1980 entitled Bailad (The - Pia ZadoraPia ZadoraPia Zadora is an American actress and singer. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians , she came to national attention in 1981 when, following her starring role in the highly criticized Butterfly, she won a Golden Globe...
's cover of the song entered the top 40 in 1983. - Aaron CarterAaron CarterAaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
released a cover of the song on his 2000 album Aaron's Party (Come Get It)Aaron's Party (Come Get It)Aaron's Party is American pop singer Aaron Carter's 2nd studio album to follow-up to his international debut album. This album was released in the fall of 2000. This album was also certified 3x Platinum by the R.I.A.A. for selling over 3 million copies in the United States...
. A music video was produced for the song. - Lil' KimLil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
performed the song (as Shirley Ellis) on the NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
drama American DreamsAmerican DreamsAmerican Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
October 12, 2003 and danced to the song on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
show Dancing With The StarsDancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
April 20 and 21, 2009. - Gary GlitterGary GlitterGary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
covered this song on 3 albums: Glitter in 1972, Glam Years 1991, and Gary Glitter in 1995. - The Rotters Club recorded a cover which was featured on Skins Secret Party Special.
- The Hip-hop gospel Congolese group MakomaMakomaMakoma is an award-winning Christian, pop, R&B and dance musical group originating from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and established in the Netherlands. It is made up of 6 siblings : Nathalie Makoma, Annie Makoma, Pengani Makoma, Tutala Makoma, Duma Makoma, Martin Makoma and a non-family...
has covered the song. - Izza KizzaIzza KizzaIzza Kizza is an American hip-hop musician, rapper and MC, currently signed to Timbaland's Mosley Music Group label...
samples the chorus in his song "Walk The Dawg". - R&B Singer CupidCupidIn Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
did a cover of the song with B.O.BB.o.BBobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
on the Step Up 2 OST which samples Ellis' version - Operator PleaseOperator PleaseOperator Please are an Australian pop band, originating on the Gold Coast of Queensland, in 2005. Their current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Amandah Wilkinson, drummer Tim Commandeur, keyboardist Chris Holland, Ashley McConnell on bass guitar, and violinist Taylor Henderson.The...
covered the song for the Australian Independent teen film Hey, Hey, It's Esther BlueburgerHey, Hey, It's Esther BlueburgerHey Hey It's Esther Blueburger is a 2008 Australian independent teen film written and directed by Cathy Randall. It stars Danielle Catanzariti, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Toni Collette. The film follows Jewish 13-year-old Esther , an outcast at her posh school, where she has no friends...
. - The Young PunxThe Young PunxThe Young Punx are an English based electronic dance music act whose eclectic and energetic style encompasses french house, breakbeat and drum and bass, mashed up with elements as diverse as 1980s pop music, hard rock, disco and glam rock.-Personnel:...
covered the song for the Buffet Libre 'Rewind 2' project in late 2008, featuring Laura Kidd on vocals and Guthrie GovanGuthrie GovanGuthrie Govan is a guitarist known for his work with the bands Asia , GPS, The Young Punx and The Fellowship as well as Erotic Cakes...
on guitar. - Mother and The AddictsMother and the AddictsMother and The Addicts were a Glasgow-based band signed to Chemikal Underground Records. Formed in 2003. They have released two albums.-History:...
released a cover of this song as the B-side to 2004 single "Who Art You Girls?" - UK X Factor contestant, Cher LloydCher LloydCher Lloyd is a British singer and rapper from Malvern, Worcestershire. Lloyd rose to fame in 2010 when she participated in reality TV series The X Factor, to which she finished in fourth place. Shortly afterwards, Lloyd was signed by Simon Cowell to Sony Records subsidary SyCo Music, releasing...
, performed the song on the final of the show in December 2010. - On Season 1 of The X Factor US, the group InTENsity performed the song during the first live show.
Legacy and in the media
- The song, with lyrics advertising backpacks and back to school gear, was played in a 2005 Zellers commercial.
- RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's "Pyramid SongPyramid Song"Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was the first single from their 2001 album Amnesiac and the first Radiohead single released in over three years, after none were taken from their previous album Kid A....
" quotes the line "And we all went to Heaven in a little row boat." - Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
song "Clap Hands" quotes the line "(they) all went to heaven in a little row boat." (in the live version of the song on Big TimeBig TimeBig Time is the first live album by American musician Tom Waits, featuring performances from two shows on Waits' 1987 tour, regarded by many as "his best tour ever." The album was released less than a year later on Island Records....
, he prefaces the song by reciting the entire first verse) - Buck 65Buck 65Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
's "1957" quotes the line "we all go to Heaven in a little row boat." - In "Loco Mosquito"(Soldier,1980) Iggy Pop quotes some lines from "The Clapping Song".
- UB40UB40UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
's rendition of Red Red WineRed Red Wine"Red Red Wine" is a song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond. It has been covered by Tony Tribe, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, and more famously by British reggae group UB40, whose version topped the U.S. and UK singles charts...
includes includes the lines "The line broke, the monkey get choked". - Spank RockSpank RockSpank Rock is an American hip-hop group consisting of rapper Naeem Juwan and producer Alex Epton . Their style is generally described as a mix of underground alternative rap and electro and rock.- Biography :...
's mix tape Couche-Tard samples "The Clapping Song" on track "Five". - James MayJames MayJames Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
attempted to parallel park a Lamborghini CountachLamborghini CountachThe Lamborghini Countach is a mid-engined supercar that was produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars...
to the song on an episode of Top GearTop Gear (current format)Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style... - The song was used in an advertising campaign for MatalanMatalanMatalan is a British retailer that specialises in shoes and clothes. It was founded by John Hargreaves in 1985. It currently has 200 stores across the UK. The 200th store opened on 22 September 2006 in Croydon...
in the UK. - The song was featured in the hip hopHip hop musicHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
documentary ScratchScratch (film)Scratch is a documentary film, directed and edited by Doug Pray. The film explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. From the birth of hip-hop, when pioneering DJ's began extending breaks on their party records , to the invention of scratching and beat-juggling vinyl, to its more recent explosion as a...
as part of a story where DJ Jazzy Jay recalls Afrika Bambaata passing him a 45 single with a drum break he later discovered was from "The Clapping Song". - The song was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Because of Winn-Dixie" 20th Century Fox, 2005. According to The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) www.imdb.com The song was written by Lincoln Chase, Kay Werner-Kent and Sue Werner-McCarthy and performed by Shirley Ellis.
- The song is featured in a 2011 advertisement for the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.